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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Rhubarb Sour Cream Coffee Cake

I've been waiting to make this cake.

Since the rhubarb plant we discovered growing in our back yard this spring is not large enough to eat yet, I've been watching for rhubarb to make an appearance behind the green piles of cabbage and kale at our grocery store. And now that it has, we have become hoarders of rhubarb, buying some on every grocery trip, washing it, chopping it and freezing it to save it for as many recipes as I can dream up this summer.

Jamie is hinting at a rhubarb pie, too, now that I no longer have an excuse not to make one for him.

This coffee cake is incredibly moist, as it's filled with a sinful amount of sour cream in the batter. Tart bites of pink rhubarb throughout complement the generous layer of sweet, crunchy streusel on top. It's rustic and imperfect, and I like it that way.

The baking is not to be rushed. Since it's baked in one deep layer, the center takes longer than you might think to reach complete doneness, and I took my cake out of the oven a teeny bit too early. Although I will say, I'm still getting used to the oven in our house, and I have to overcompensate on the temperature as it consistently under-heats by 75 degrees, so everything takes longer to bake in my oven. Know your oven, and keep an eye on the cake towards the end.

But you know what? That creamy dollop of just-undercooked batter at the point of each slice was my favorite bite.

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a 9-inch round cake pan (with 3-inch high sides) with parchment paper, so that it is fitted tightly against the bottom and comes up the sides with a few inches of overhang.

Streusel.
In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, oats, salt and cinnamon. Use a pastry cutter or your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mixture until moistened and crumbly. Chill in the freezer while you prepare the batter.

Cake.
In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, sugar, eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet until moistened, then stir in the rhubarb.

Spread the batter into the parchment-lined pan and sprinkle the top with the chilled streusel topping.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes until golden brown on top and a sharp knife inserted in the center, all the way to the bottom, comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to remove the pan. Turn the cake right side up and cool for another 30 minutes before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature.